I had mixed reactions to this author's debut book when I read it a while back. Not enough to write him off completely and my trust was rewarded by this, the tricky second book which was in my opinion much much better.
So... We meet Xander Shute (great name) as he is living on the street. Quite how and why he ended up there, having once been a wealthy banker, you will have to discover as the author intends. Suffice to say, when we first meet him, he is trying to find shelter after a nasty altercation ousts him from where he was bedding down for the night, and, joy of joys, he manages to hit gold. An empty Mayfair flat lies begging - his for the taking. All is going well until he is disturbed by the occupants returning home. He hides. But what he witnesses thereafter shocks him to his core. What shocks him more is that he is powerless to intervene in the violent argument that ensues between the man and woman. An argument that ends with the woman dead and the man fleeing.
Torn with his own behaviour and wanting to do the right thing, he reports the incident to the police but is shocked to find that it is his own earlier altercation that they are more interested in... and so begins a cat and mouse race against time for Xander to try and get to the truth...
Oh my! This book had me chasing my tail all over the place. I learned quite soon in the story to stop trying to second guess and just go with the flow as it was definitely the path of least resistance.
It's gritty and well plotted, if a tad on the implausible side (much like its predecessor) but in this book it all works well together as you will find out when the truth eventually all comes out. But first we have to learn more about Xander himself and, well, what a life he had... what a character the author has created. If we never see him again, it'll be a shame.
All in all, the author is definitely heading in the right direction. Can't wait to see what he has in store for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A fascinating story, cleverly told and beautifully written. A homeless man who was once a wealthy banker takes shelter in a flat, but when the occupants return he witnesses a murder. The police are sceptical and tell Xander he cannot be telling the truth. The truth emerges slowly and surprising and intriguing facts about his past life are revealed. A superb read!

This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be looking for more!

Xander, once a highly educated, wealthy banker is now homeless. One night after getting shooed away from his sleeping place in the pouring rain, he is walking down a street and sees a door open at what looks like an empty property. Thinking he would just get under cover while the rain dies off, he goes inside and gets drawn into the warmth. When the owners return, he hides behind a sofa and is witness to a crime that will change his life for good.

Not a fast-paced book by any means, but with excellent plotting and a slow unravelling story, this character will get right under your skin. Xander is so sensitively written that you can't help but want to know what happened and hope that he can overcome his demons.

Highly recommended.

I picked this book up late last night and struggled to put it down but obviously needed to sleep, as soon as morning was here my head was again stuck in the book. I was absolutely gripped from start to finish. The story went in directions I just didn’t see coming, not just once but several times.

Xander Shute had been a very successful man, he is intelligent and had a beautiful intelligent girlfriend Grace. And a good friend Seb. So what happened that meant he had spent thirty years on the streets? What would make someone choose that life?

But then one cold night after he was attacked by another homeless man who accused him of taking his space he had to move on. He found himself outside an address in Mayfair, the back door was open. Xander needed warmth so he went in, no one was home he would just get warm and get some sleep. Until someone came home the only place he could hide was behind the sofa, but then what he witnessed he couldn’t get out of his head.

What do you do when you have seen something so bad? When you go to the police and they don’t believe you? But then you are arrested for murder.

This whole story is narrated by Xander as the reader learns what has happened for him to arrive in the state he is in. I really felt for him at times I was almost in tears. This is written with such empathy the character is so relatable. I don’t want to say too much more about the story because I don’t want to give out spoilers. But it is a book I would very highly recommend to anyone who loves a psychological thriller. This one will definitely have you gripped from start to finish.

Gripping, engrossing, engaging thriller of a read. That you will not be able to put it down. With a good pace and three dimensional characters that are believable and relatable. Get a copy now.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #publishers for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Tense and gripping, I know what I saw is a story about a once wealthy banker, now down on his luck and living in the street.
Xander was a very interesting character, I loved reading this story and was very entertained by it

An Elegantly written story of lives lost and loved, Imran Mahmood tells the story of homeless Xander Shute. A once wealthy man now living on the streets. Fighting to survive.

Xander witnesses a murder whilst sleeping in what he thinks was an empty flat, yet when he takes the information to the police he is brushed off with disdain.

The story is a slow burning tale, that focuses on Xander’s relationship pre homeless, and his hunt in the present to get justice for the person he saw die.

When the tables begin to turn on Shute he has to frantically find a way to prove himself with little help.

Mahmood writes with an almost mesmerising feel, I found my self suddenly having read 50 pages without realising, it’s a quite wonderful style of writing.

The plotting of the tale is clever, intelligent and almost dark in its premise and is a thoughtful and intricately written story.

The suspense is palpable at times, the twist and turns excellent and the final reveal is great though always an inkling that’s what would play out.

Great Read and an author I expect to see much more of in future

A book that manages to be different from other thrillers. Well crafted, albeit quite a slow pace, You just have to know what happens at the end. I did like the writing style and I felt connected to Xander. A complex story, very well told and a cracking ending. More books please

Halfway through reading this book I was so sure I had it all figured out. I really should know better by now, having to swallow my own words as the very ending threw me completely off kilter.

I Know What I Saw tells the story of Xander Shute, a wealthy Cambridge graduate and banker who, by society’s standards, was living his best life until one day he seemingly gives the middle finger to the capitalist dream and chooses to live on the streets.

That’s when he believes he witnesses a murder.

I was totally captivated by the novel and have never read anything by Imran Mahmood previously. His writing style is so poetic and encompassing and I found myself drawn right into its intensity. It was at times quite slow paced but was meticulously well-plotted.

Xander is such an unreliable narrator, and although the narrative could be disjointed and confusing, I felt this lent itself to further emphasise just how confused the protagonist was.

More importantly, I felt the dismissal and rebuttals Xander received as a homeless man highlighted an important message about the treatment of those deemed to be in the lower echelons of society.

My first Imran Mahmood book and it did not disappoint. Slow-paced but meticulously plotted, it drew me in right away and kept me guessing til that ending which I did not see coming! Overall a really brilliant psychological thriller.

Well - this is one of those rare books that has left me in an uncertain situation regarding a positive or negative review.
On the plus side it has several superb twists that clearly dropped into the 'didn't see that coming' category but on the minus side I found it somewhat verbose in places and the flashbacks to Grace left me wondering whether all this was really necessary. I'm sure some readers will love this narrative and will love the characterisation of Xander.
I think it is one of those books which is very hard to end and I was somewhat disappointed at the ending although I cannot think of how it could have ended in a logical, satisfying way.
So out of the three two word reviews - 'loved it', 'hated it' or 'didn't know' I am definitely in the latter camp.

Xander Shute is a homeless man who witnesses a murder. He's got memory issues and is also physically hurt from an altercation, so, when the police insists that he's mistaken...is he?

This is a beautifully written, heartbreaking tale that enthrals as it takes the reader on a journey into the past as well as his future dilemma as he attempts to solve the mystery.

Each chapter takes you with the lead character as we experience his heartache, frustration and confusion and it's a book that will stay with me.

There are frustrations; not all questions are answered and we're left with Xander remaining somewhat of an enigma. Also, the language, though powerful and poetic is, at times, a block to the overall storyline as it becomes too clever for it's own good.
Having said that, I remained absolutely hooked and highly recommend this as a riveting read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the opportunity to preview.

Please see LoveReading.co.uk for the review, I Know What I Saw has been chosen as a Liz Robinson’s Picks of the Month book recommendation

I had heard so much about this author that I was excited to read this, his 2nd novel. The protagonist is the narrator of this story, a homeless man, who has limited recollection of his past, now living on the streets of London, who is convinced he witnessed a murder. But convincing the police is a very different matter.

Briefly Xander Shute has been living on the streets for 30 years after giving up his wealthy lifestyle as a city banker when his girlfriend, Mabel, leaves him. After an altercation with another homeless man he notices that the door to a flat in Mayfair isn’t properly closed and he takes shelter there for the night. But later a man and woman return to the property, so he hides, and witnesses a violent argument which culminates in the woman being murdered. But when he takes his story to the police they don’t believe him... Can Xander discover the truth himself? And will his investigations open up his long hidden memories of the past?

This is quite a slow paced story but very well thought out and with a lovely writing style. Xander has flashbacks of memory to his former life and I was torn between feelings sorry for him as he had lost everything and was clearly confused and disturbed by his past; but also wanted to shake him and say “come on, you still have a chance, take it”. There are a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, especially the one near the end of the book. A really good read. I enjoyed it and would give it 4.5*

My thanks to the author Imran Mahmood, Raven Books and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a fantastic book.

Xander Shute is homeless, he turned his back on his wealthy old life and now lives on the streets. One night he is looking for shelter, when he finds a door open in a street in Mayfair but while there he hides whilst witnessing a murder. After this everything changes for him.

As we read we find out about Xander’s past and how he tries to move forward following what he has witnessed. He seems to have trouble remembering things clearly and as I read, I felt sorry for him but he keeps on going until he finds out the truth, even if it will really hurt him.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed reading it. It was written well and I was heavily invested in the story right until I finished the last page of the book. I’m looking forward to finding and reading more books written by Imran Mahmood.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting thriller involving morals, forgiveness, and the effects of trauma on memory. Well-written, with believable characters Like Xander, I couldn't be sure what was true or false, which kept me turning the pages. Very good.

Wow! What a fantastic story. Xander has gone from riches to bring homeless through choice, he still has money so doesn't need to.be homeless. He is battling his inner demons both from his childhood and aduthood.

One night he is in a house, having walked in through an open door and witnesses a murder! When he eventually reports it they police don't believe him, but he is adamant what he saw is the truth. He has to try and filter through his disjointed and fuzzy memories to.try and piece together what happened and who did it.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, many thanks to Net galley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

4.5* I loved this book.
I absolutely loved the authors previous novel so I was very keen to read this one.
I don’t usually comment on book dedications, but thought this one was both lovely and very poetic.
A psychological thriller part mystery crime part legal thriller from the point of view of a homeless man Xander Shute. He has gone from riches to rags by choice, as he still had money.
He witnesses a murder of a woman but the police don’t believe him, forcing him to question himself and investigate himself to find the truth.
It appears to have a 2 week time frame, although I’m not totally clear on this. It is beautifully written, concise sentence structure but quite poetic.
It immediately grabbed my attention, with my heart strings being tugged at Xanders predicament with life on the streets. He doesn’t appear to have succumbed to the usual pitfalls of drink or drugs.
Xander does go off at a tangent with flash backs which gives a disjointed feel. It adds credence to him seeming to be an unreliable narrator, it also gives us a glimpse into his previous life style. It doesn’t make for a smooth reading flow though.
Xander is the only main character in the book, but he isn’t a character that I could like, everything about him felt detached, slightly surreal. I did feel sorry for him, and the prejudice that homeless people face daily. At times his situation really tugged on my emotions.
I like the way that words spoken in the flashbacks and the present crossover to tie him back to the present.
I found the pace really dropped following the reporting of the body.
The pace picked up again once he teamed up with Amit. Then the tension built well to a great finale.
I have rated this book lower than the first one. They are very different books. Firstly I must say it’s not due to a fault of the book but personal preference, I struggle with unreliable narrators.

I Know What I Saw is the eagerly awaiting second book by Imran Mahmood, the author of the incredible You Don’t Know Me, which, if you follow my blog, you will know was one of my favourite books of 2017.

Having met (stalked) Imran several times now he knows how much I adored and championed his debut novel and so I was very grateful to receive an ARC copy of book #2 which is being published on 10th June 2021.

I Know What I Saw is very different to his debut novel, however both books have one thing in common: a strong, powerful and fascinating narrator. With a complete change of scenery, I Know What I Saw is based in London and told through the eyes of Xander Shute, a homeless man who has been living off grid and on the streets for too many years, struggling with his personal demons and fractured memories of his past.

One night in the pouring rain, Xander finds an empty property with an open door and decides to seek refuge from the weather. This decision turns out to be the pivotal point in his life which brings everything he think he knows and saw crashing down around him.

Throughout the book the reader begins to learn Xander’s back story and why a young, successful and professional young man who studied Mathematics at Cambridge, earnt a fortune and had what appears to be the ideal life, turned his back on everything and everyone he knew and walked away onto the streets for years.

Xander’s voice is loud and strong throughout the book. His pain and confusion is heart-breaking and he’s determination to find out the truth no matter what, is inspirational. It’s easy to assume he is an unreliable narrator the more we read, especially when others are doubting his story and questioning his recollection of events.

I Know What I Saw is not a particularly fast-paced story, but a slow and well plotted characterised tale of facing up to the truth at any cost and one man’s battle with himself to finally find peace.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Well this was a complete change of pace compared to the courtroom based drama of the author's first novel. I think for me, the reason I loved the styling of You Don't Know Me was because I listened to the audio and believe me, that is a book that needs to be performed. In many ways, this book is similar in that we are treated to single narrator, first person perspective, but rather than the lion's share of the action taking place in an enclosed courtroom, the drama in this book plays out in Xander's world. As a homeless man, there are no limits as to where this might take him, or the reader, and it makes for a very intriguing and mystery laden read.

The basic premise is as the blurb suggests. Xander witnesses a murder, and yet he cannot get anyone to believe him. And as you read the book you can probably understand why that might be the case. There are a lot of mitigating factors at play, and it is not just the police refusing to listen the the supposed ramblings of a homeless man. Imran Mahmood has look in depth at Xander's character, his backstory and his present life, and there is much which sets the alarm bells ringing making him appear to be a potentially unreliable narrator. And yet there is such conviction in his manner, in the way he is portrayed, his assertions, that the lines between fact and fiction are very quickly and very skilfully blurred.

There are many elements to this book, complex relationships and situations, which slowly come to inform the overall story. I loved the beautiful way in which Imran Mahmood develops his narrative, the acute sense of place and the credible way in which he portrays Xander's situation and the many reasons he may not be believed. There is that element of dismissal due to his status, but there is so much more too, and as a reader I was struck with a constant sense that there was a vital piece of information adrift, that missing puzzle piece that is necessary to complete the full picture. It is a book which is both tender and intense. That has mystery and emotion. And the ending is both unexpected and, perhaps, exactly what I knew it would be. It is bound to be another success, demonstrating that this is an author who knows how to deliver a brilliant story. Definitely recommended.

This book drew me in immediately with the opening chapters, many questions running through my mind that I needed answers to. Most I got. a couple still remain unanswered. Brilliantly propulsive and engrossing. Grabbing me from the moment it started. Will be keeping an eye open for this author in the future.